Chapter 48
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Blood Cult Appears!
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The Blood Cult Appears!
The Nine Sects, One Union thrown into crisis by the Blood Cults sinister plot!
The rising stars of the Medical Immortal Medical House emerge like comets to save the Mount Hua, Zhongnan, and Beggar's Sects!
...None of that happened. The entire martial world did not quake, martial artists did not sing their praises in unison, nearby physicians did not tremble in fear, and the Imperial Court did not turn its gaze upon the Medical Immortal Medical House.
Although the Blood Cult was involved, it was an incident orchestrated by a single branch office.
And for the Mount Hua, Zhongnan, and Beggar's Sects, it wasn't their main forces but only a handful of disciples who were in peril.
To put it bluntly, incidents of this scale happened every other day in the martial world.
In fact, the clash in Anhui between the Namgung Family and the Vile Gold Ganga sect under the Seven Hegemons of the Nine Provinces, the strongest power in the Unorthodox Factionwas a much hotter topic.
But did that mean this incident was simply forgotten?
Not a chance.
A considerable number of people took notice of this event.
An excessive amount, even, when compared to the scale of the Sword Venerable Blood Master's incident.
There was a reason for it.
"The Medical Immortal Medical House? Wasn't that a family that went completely bankrupt a few hundred years ago? They were still carrying on their legacy?"
Taiyuan in Shanxi Province was not typically a city that drew attention in the martial world.
However, a century ago, it became the center of the martial world, for it was where the Martial Alliance was established.
The location was chosen with the Demonic Cult in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to the west, the Unorthodox Alliance in Hunan south of the Yangtze River, and the Blood Cult in Guizhou to the southwest in mind.
Among the warriors of the Martial Alliance, the recent incident with the Sword Venerable Blood Master was a hot topic.
The clash between the Namgung Family and the Vile Gold Gang?
That was a matter for the higher-ups to handle.
It wasn't as if the two great powers would actually go to war.
The frontline warriors of the Martial Alliance were more interested in something else.
"They were struck by the Blood Cult's demonic energy, but they were saved with medical arts?"
"Isn't that an exaggeration? Even the physicians of the Heavenly Peak Medical House are at a loss when it comes to wounds inflicted by the Blood Cult's demonic energy."
"It's true. I heard the Zhongnan Sect personally sent a message of thanks under the Sect Leader's Decree."
The reason the Martial Alliance warriors were interested in such matters was simple.
Knowing of a skilled physician was directly linked to their survival.
If I get injured while on a mission near Nanyang, I should go to the Medical Immortal Medical House.
My next mission is near Nanyang. Should I request their cooperation in advance?
The Martial Alliance had the Heavenly Peak Medical House, but their physicians couldn't accompany warriors all across the Central Plains.
The warriors of the Martial Alliance firmly etched the name Medical Immortal Medical House into their minds.
It wasn't just the frontline warriors who took note of the Medical Immortal Medical House.
"Are you saying that the one who foiled the Blood Cult's plot was a boy named Wi Ji-cheon?"
"Yes, Grand Marshal."
"Hmm. Didn't you say he was a physician from a medical house? An apprentice physician who just passed his Medical Examination Ceremony, at that?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Is this report accurate?"
Sa Ma Su-ryeon, the Grand Marshal of the Martial Alliance, wore an expression of interest.
The report detailed Wi Ji-cheon's exploits.
If it hadn't been written by an agent of the Flying Pavilion, she wouldn't have believed it.
Wasn't this the same boy who stopped the Blood Cult's plot at the Seo Family Manor in Xi'an?
Among the Flying Pavilion agents, there was a running joke that the Martial Alliance's enemy was the entire martial world.
It wasn't a lie.
Even the Alliance of Great Families, who were part of the Orthodox Faction, were not their allies.
There were even enemies within the Martial Alliance itself.
Therefore, as the Grand Marshal, Sa Ma Su-ryeon had to be aware of everything that transpired in the martial world.
Ill have to keep a close watch on him from now on.
With a meaningful gaze, Sa Ma Su-ryeon committed Wi Ji-cheon's name to memory.
She had a feeling she would be hearing those three syllables again and again in the future.
Sa Ma Su-ryeon was not the only one who took notice of Wi Ji-cheon.
The Mount Hua, Zhongnan, and Beggar's Sects, having witnessed Wi Ji-cheon's brilliance with their own eyes, were desperate to recruit him into their ranks.
The situation was so frantic that the Mount Hua, Zhongnan, and Beggar's Sects each sent an elder-level master, who then ended up fighting amongst themselves.
He had truly become the protagonist who left the Mount Hua Sect astonished, the Zhongnan Sect anxious, and the Beggar's Sect desperately yearning for him.
Of course, Wi Ji-cheon politely declined, simply managing his clientele by saying, "As a physician, you are always welcome, so please visit often in the future."
And so.
Besides them, another major figure was speaking Wi Ji-cheon's name.
"Wi Ji-cheon, you say."
Beijing, Hebei.
The city where the Emperor's Imperial Court resided, indisputably the greatest city in the Central Plains.
Next to the Forbidden City stood a massive estate.
It was no smaller than the Martial Alliance headquarters.
A startling sight.
To build such a large estate in the city where the Emperor resides?
It wouldn't have been strange to incur the Emperor's wrath for such an act of disrespect, but one look at the nameplate on the estate made it understandable.
-Medical Alliance-
That's right.
This was the Medical Alliance, the general headquarters of all the medical houses in the world!
The Medical Alliance was situated next to the Forbidden City because it was responsible for treating the imperial family and the countless individuals attached to the Imperial Court.
In the innermost building of the Medical Alliance.
A young physician was reporting to a man with a dignified air.
"Pardon? What did you just say?"
"I was just thinking about Physician Wi Ji-cheon of the Medical Immortal Medical House. I heard he has accomplished a great deal this time."
"Yes, he is a physician with a promising future. Regarding the Medical Immortal Medical House, shall we proceed as decided by the committee?"
"Do so."
"Then, I will announce the promotion of the Medical Immortal Medical House to an Earth-rank medical house to all the provincial branches."
The promotion of the Medical Immortal Medical House to Earth-rank had finally been decided at the Medical Alliance level!
After the young physician left, the middle-aged man rose from his seat and looked out the window.
He gazed in the direction of the Medical Immortal Medical House.
"A pity. If the Medical Immortal Medical House had remained a mediocre Village-rank house, they might have been able to prolong their existence a little longer."
A cryptic remark.
His eyes grew dim.
"It's about time I made a move."
The middle-aged man.
Jo Baek-il, the Alliance Lord of the Medical Alliance, Grand Scholar of the Imperial Medical Academy, the Emperor's Imperial Physician, and head of the White Immortal Medical House, known as one of the Ten Immortals, murmured under his breath.
Confirmed as an Earth-rank medical house!
The entirety of Nanyang was abuzz.
"Khahahaha! Mu, who do you think I am?"
"An Earth-rank! Are you not the Head of the Medical Immortal Medical House?"
"That's right, an Earth-rank! Head Wi Ji-mu, General Manager of the Medical Immortal Medical House. I look forward to working with you."
"I look forward to it as well, Head Wi Ji-seon of the Earth-rank Medical Immortal Medical House, my brother!!"
"Tsk. Both of you, you're not children. Have some dignity."
"Gang, you should wipe that grin off your face before you lecture us. Your lips are about to split. The whole neighborhood's beggars heard you shouting 'We are the Earth-rank Medical Immortal Medical House!' in the backyard."
"Con. Grats. Dance. Dance."
The entire family danced with joy.
The disciples were the same.
"Did we become Earth-rank physicians?"
"If you endure like hell... you win like hell?"
"Sob, the days of being taunted, 'Are you even a physician?'"
"We're the Seven Immortals of the Medical Immortal House!"
"That's right, we are the Seven Immortals of the Earth-rank! Medical Immortal Medical House!"
"I can't hear you!"
"Eaaarth!!! Raaank!!!"
The disciples of the Medical Immortal Medical House weren't just Wi Ji-cheon's juniors.
There were a total of three generations.
The first generation, which included Wi Ji-seon and Wi Ji-mu.
...There weren't many besides those two.
The second generation, led by Wi Ji-gang and Wi Ji-sang-ah.
They were skilled physicians with at least five years of experience after passing the Medical Examination Ceremony, and they were the pillars of the Medical Immortal Medical House.
There weren't many of them either.
The work at the Medical Immortal Medical House was so arduous that few could endure for more than two or three years.
Though well over ten disciples joined each year, only seven, including Wi Ji-gang and Wi Ji-sang-ah, remained, and they called themselves the Seven Immortals of the Medical Immortal Medical House.
It had been a self-deprecating joke, but not anymore.
Why?
Because they were disciples of an Earth-rank! medical house!
The second-generation disciples of the Medical Immortal Medical House, who had been drinking and carousing, suddenly had a glint in their eyes.
"Where did our little cutie go?!"
"Ahem! How dare you call our precious Treasure Cheon a little cutie!"
The disciples of the Medical Immortal Medical House had always adored Wi Ji-cheon.
The clumsy, lacking, but still kind and endearing youngest?
Now, he was their good luck charm.
"There's Cheon!! Hey, Cheon! You have to accept a drink from your martial uncles!!"
"No, I told you I don't drink. You all should stop drinking too. You'll ruin your health."
"Are you worrying about us?!"
"Cheon really is the best!!"
"All hail our good luck charm, Treasure Cheon!!"
Wi Ji-cheon shook his head.
They've worked hard, so it's okay for them to drink and let loose on a day like this.
The Medical Immortal Medical House had survived until now not just through the efforts of Wi Ji-cheon's family.
It was possible because of the hard work of ordinary disciples like them.
They could have gone to any other medical house, but they are the grateful ones who stayed until now.
Disciples who lasted long at the Medical Immortal Medical House were treated as battle-hardened veterans and recognized wherever they went.
I should give them a thank-you gift.
"Martial Uncles, I have a gift for you. It's the Grand Prime Pill. My juniors have all had it already, and I apologize for giving it to you so late."
The faces of the second-generation disciples, the Seven Immortals, hardened instantly.
"...Giving us the Grand Prime Pill... does that mean you're going to work us like your juniors from now on?"
"Pardon?"
"C-could you please go easy on us?"
"......"
Does that mean its okay to work them hard?
Wi Ji-cheon's eyes darted around.
He couldn't bring himself to push the martial uncles he had known since childhood, so he had only trained his own juniors.
From the atmosphere, it seems the martial uncles wanted my training too but were too proud to ask. They're already recognized wherever they go, so with a little help from me, their skills will improve by leaps and bounds.
If Jang Sam heard this, he would lament, "You devil... you devil..."
"Eldest Martial Brother! A gift has arrived from the Zhongnan Sect!"
"Again?"
"Yes, the time before last was to thank you for your help in resolving the Blood Master incident, last time was for treating Elder Jang Myeong, and this time it's to congratulate you on your promotion to an Earth-rank medical house! Oh, and a gift has arrived from the Mount Hua Sect as well!"
-Forgetting a debt of gratitude is for beasts.
The Zhongnan Sect seemed determined to repay this debt with gifts, sending all sorts of presents.
The Mount Hua Sect was the same.
If it weren't for Wi Ji-cheon, the two prestigious sects would have suffered greatly from the Blood Cult's machinations, so they were deeply grateful.
Still, I never thought they'd go so far as to seek out me, the Fiend Demon, to repay their debt.
-That demon seems different from other demons. He is a demon who knows the Dao, so I wish to meet him and have a sincere conversation.
Seriously, for one of the Nine Sects, One Union, aren't they a little too open-minded?
Wi Ji-cheon was thinking this with a look of disgust.
"Is anyone here?"
"Who is it?"
Wi Ji-cheon looked slightly surprised.
It was a beautiful woman with a calm demeanor.
She looked to be about the same age as Wi Ji-gang.
Her eyes were remarkably clear.
The woman smiled faintly and spoke.
"I am Yu Hwa, the Young Head of the Bronze Goodness Medical House. I have come to congratulate the Medical Immortal Medical House on its promotion to an Earth-rank medical house."
"!!"
Nanyang's number one medical house had arrived.